Three Thought Thursday: Week 52!

1. Week fifty-two! Yea! Which means we made it to the end of the year. Wasn't the end of 2009 just a month or so ago!?! Sure seems like it to me. 2010 has just flown by. And what a fun, challenging, transitional year. Loved it. And loved Christmas too. We just returned from our trip to Houston on Tuesday and are still busy recovering. Mounds of laundry, un-packing all the "stuff" we didn't know we'd be coming home with, oh, and auditing our existing "stuff" to see what can go to other little boys and girls in order to make room for the new "stuff." That little procedure always has to take place while the boys are sleeping or it would be endless emotional meltdown. Our entire family was immensely blessed this Christmas season and loved getting to spend so much time with the huge Hefferly clan. We came home with lots of new books, cool new toys and movies, and a few new maternity items my mom picked up for my first summertime pregnancy. (my existing stuff is all winter wear!) Of course all the memories we made are just as valuable, if not more so. And man, it was so nice to have two boys at Pinkie and Pa's house instead of two babies/toddlers. I shutter to remember the past few visits when the boys required constant supervision or something would be broken, misplaced, eaten, ruined, etc. They're both finally to the age where they don't require constant supervision. Heck, they can both even man the staircase, up and down, on their own. And even better, they were so eager to go do things with their uncles like play at the park or pull out all the old action figures and not demand that mom be a part of the action at all times. Certainly gave me a much needed break! Guess I better enjoy it. Back to baby mode by next Christmas season. Yes, 2011 is certain to bring a lot of new changes to the Asmussen Family. Hey, we're the Asmussens! We're always changing or going through something, right? A new baby, a "baby" turning into a big brother, a new car ('cause the Camry ain't gonna cut it with three), and a new job. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we are going through lots of changes, right now, the biggest being that Mark is now pursuing a new job. It's a long story but a good decision for Mark and our family, and no worries, nothing bad went on...just need to find the right fit for all parties included. Guaranteed to be many blessings in the new year to come!

2. So like I said, we just returned from The Woodlands on Tuesday. And man, was that trek home a long one! On the way there, we broke the trip into two days by stopping in Austin making it really not that bad of a trip. But the way home was a nine-and-a-half hour, hair pulling out, slamming my head against the dashboard disaster. Not even kidding when I say that we had stopped five times for Kolbe to pee before we even got to the outskirts of Dallas. He's a classic case of "once you break the seal..." I'm convinced that the element that made it so "enjoyable" was the fact that the boys never managed to fall asleep at the same time. Rudy fell asleep for about forty-five minutes in the morning; Kolbe fell asleep for about an hour and half during normal nap time (while Rudy wailed and pulled on the straps of his car seat, begging me to take him out); Kolbe woke up just in time for Rudy to wear himself out and sleep another hour or so. You wouldn't think this would be that big of a deal, but with one of them awake at all times, it gave Mark and me absolutely not reprieve from one or the other constantly begging for something. Oh yeah, and it rained for a chunk of the trip too. Good times. Other trips we've made have been better. And heck, others have even been longer. But sometimes they just don't run as smoothly as you'd hope for. Luckily when I take the two boys back in February for Kolbe's Shriners check-up, it will be on a plane.

3. As I said, we endured a solid nine-and-a-half hours of noise from the boys. And both of them have entered new stages of communication that added to the mayhem. But I'll drop the car ride issue and try my best to focus on their newly acquired skills. Kolbe really didn't start talking much until he turned two, so we weren't really worried when Rudy still wasn't saying much. Sure enough, at twenty-two-months, he's all of a sudden taken off with his talking. Previously he just made lots of grunting and groaning sounds...as if he truly had something to say but just didn't know how to open his mouth and get the words out. But now he's entered a phase of constant labelling. Everything he sees that draws his interest gets named.
"Cause!" (Clause...for Santa Clause)
"Bus!"
"Ocks!" (Socks)
"Up!" (cup...when he wants a drink)
He's also develop a repertoire of commands including:
"Go. Go." (he says this whenever we're out somewhere and he's ready to go home.)
"No, no, buh!" (no, no, brother....I'm sure you can figure that one out. Sure beats his previous method which was simply attempting to bite Kolbe.)
"Poo. Poo." (yes, technically a noun, but he uses it as a command. As in "I've just gone poo, now change me, lady!" Lord willing, this will turn into him telling me he needs to go on the potty soon.)

Cute little fella is growing up. Can't believe he'll be two in just six weeks! Kolbe's new phase is the question phase, loathed by parents world-wide. You know...where everything is a question. Really, I don't mind when it's something he truly wants to know because he's learning. Questions like:
"Why is urs vein blue?"
"Where does that squirrel live?"
"Is this way yeft (left) or is that way yeft?"
"Is this shoe on the right foot?"
The ones that get me are the ones I can't really answer or that he can't seem to understand the answer to. Here's a few scenarios:
(In the car, about four hours into our car trip...)
Kolbe: Mama, where's Pinkie and Pa's house?
Me: Oh, about four hours back in the other direction.
Kolbe: What direction?
Me: Behind us. We've driving this way now, but Pinkie and Pa's house is the other way.
(Ten minutes later...)
Kolbe: Mama, where's Pinkie and Pa's house?
(This continued for the duration of the trip. Mark even attempted to flip the script on him and ask him where Pinkie and Pa's house was...he simply decided to ask me to answer Dada for him.)

(While our whole family is driving to a party, trying to find the house that it's at...)
Me: (to Mark) I think you'll probably take a right up at this corner.
Kolbe: (from the back...eavesdropping) Mama, what's at that corner?
Me: Nothing. I was just telling Dada he should turn there.
Kolbe: What's there?
Me: There's nothing there. Just a stop sign and some grass.
Kolbe: Why turn at that corner? To go by the grass?
Me: No, just  because I think their house is this way.
Kolbe: Is it on the corner?
(and on and on.....and on.)

Love both of these boys so much. Love being their mom. Love getting to stay home and take care of them. Love not missing any of these endless, often mind-numbing but often oh-so-cute questions. Love that somehow God thought I would be good for them. They're just growing and changing. Becoming real people. Love that I get to be a part of it. This year and hopefully for many more to come.